Centre for Civic Education (CCE), within the framework of the project Through Education to Human Rights! supported by the Commission for the allocation of part of the revenue from games of chance, organised a conference titled Road to efficient education for human rights – dilemmas and solutions.

Daliborka Uljarević, CCE Executive Director, opened the conference by reflecting on the importance of education for the development of culture of human rights and active citizenship. She assessed that «there can be no real breakthrough or sustainable democratic development in any society without the active, conscious and politically educated citizen who knows how the society in which s/he lives and creates, functions, what are his/her rights and duties, and how s/he can affect social change. »

Prof. dr Radovan Radonjić, academic, has reminded of Platon who saw the difference between man and state only in volume. “Man defines the state. Hence, we need to ask ourselves individually, what is it that we bring to the state from which we expect protection, and rightfully so when we need the protection and help. I think that we are weak in that regard. We need to think more how to constitute ourselves a state tailored to standards of socieites which we will increasingly have to abide, while the road to such state is quite long and serious”, Radonjić emphasised. He also reminded of the issue of insufficient social responsibility: “Each of us would like to have his/her own direction, but none of us is prepared to take up the responsibility and steer in that direction. In the battle for highest and most important goals we can be often unworthy and adulating.” Radonjić indicated that the core of many of our challenges lies in the education system as much as in permeating interests, and underlined the importance of education for democratic society.

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Ten students who were selected within the project “Active students for sustainable development” have successfully completed their month-long practice in Institute Alternative and Daily Press. Prior to this, programme participants visited project partners and had the opportunity to attend the workshops on basics of public policies and objective journalist reporting.

Within the framework of this project, five political analysts have performed their practice in NGO Institute Alternative, while five journalists have done their in portal Vijesti, where they had the chance to work with mentors and get to know the important aspects of work in NGOs and media, as significant actors of social development. Outputs of their internships are ten news articles, produced by students of journalism, as well as five public policy documents, prepared by students of Political Sciences.

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For personal reasons, Jovicevici have decided with regret that they must cancel tenth cycle of workshops within Peace Education Programme (PEP). Jovicevici have offered PEP for several years as donators and volunteers, within the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) educational programme «Contemporary Tendencies of Critical Thought». Thanks to their generosity and efforts, over 500 people in Montenegro have enjoyed the popular PEP programme for free.This includes many theachers who are active within the formal education system. Jovicevici apologise to those who applied for PEP X, who were genuinely looking forward to attending, and hope that they will have understanding.

If Jovicevici decide again to start organising PEP, the CCE will with pleasure continue cooperation with them and in that manner also contribute to the widening of spectrum of alternative education programmes offerred in Montenegro.

Roman Hloben, ambassador of Republic of Slovakia in Montenegro, was the guest of the first European café for young people, organised by the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) in cooperation with the European Alternatives, where he spoke about the “EU – 60 years after the Treaty of Rome”.

Ana Nenezić, programme coordinator of Europeanisation and democratisation at the CCE, opened the European café for young people and pointed out that “European unity began as dream of a few, and grew into a hope of many. In times when the EU is going through numerous crisis and internal process of reforms, one should underline the achieved results, as well as the values which gathered member states”. She reminded that Brexit has shook the foundations of EU, along with many other challenges, but that it has also “contributed to more decisive and firm stand on changes that are necessary and that will make the EU stronger. Signing of Rome declaration by 27 leaders of member states, European Council, European Parliament and European Commission precisely on the 60th anniversary of the signing of Treaty of Rome constitutes the move in that direction”. Nenezić assessed that position of Montenegro, which is deeply into accession negotiation process and has achieved certain results, “will depend greatly on the dynamics of solving the internal issues within the Union. However, this must not be an alibi for the reform “fatigue” in Montenegro, because our results will depend exclusively on the quality of work of decision-makers, their dedication and responsibility, hence there can be no excuse for all the more evident impediment of essential reforms in Montenegrin society”.

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Centre for Civic Education (CCE) congratulates the 4 April – Day of Students, to every student. CCE believes that there aren’t many reasons to celebrate this year’s 4 April, since there was no progress in the improvement of position and role of students in Montenegrin society.

Montenegrin students welcome this day in the arms of deep crisis of education system, which severely undermines their prospects of employment, because it has become ever-difficult to find a job with the qualifications obtained through the formal education system. Voice of youth rarely heard, even less acknowledged, which leaves the shaping of current social and political processes without the participation of young people. Montenegrin students are not perceived as stakeholders and bearers of social and political changes in their country.

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